Now’s the time when we put all of our 2011 baseball predictions in one place. Then in October we can look back at this and laugh. Oh, and we will laugh. Big, bellowing, seat of your pants laughs. Hindsight is indeed 20/20. But where’s the harm in setting ourselves to look like jackasses? We run a fantasy baseball blog, after all. Grey’s picks in RED. Rudy’s picks in BLUE. Anyway, here’s our predictions for baseball’s post-season awards and whatnot:

AL Pennant Winner – Detroit Tigers – The Yankees would’ve been the easy choice here, but I’m a small market kind of guy. Some would call me a hero. Who? I’m not sure, friend.

AL Pennant Winner – Boston Red Sox– If they can win 90+ games with last year’s injuries + Beckett/Lackey sucking, I think they can win the pennant with a little more luck + A-Gonz + Crawford.

NL Pennant Winner – Milwaukee Brewers – Just think how exciting a Milwaukee-Detroit series will be. The Cheese vs. The G’s.

NL Pennant Winner – Cincinnati Reds– Spring training wasn’t kind to the Reds pitching staff (Arroyo – who you been kissin?) but this team has solid depth (including a stocked farm system).

World Series Champion – Brewers – It’s game seven and the Tigers are up by 6 runs in the bottom of the 9th. But when they take the field, Miggy is nowhere to be found. Speculation says he’s in the locker room already spraying himself with champagne. Then the Brewers mount a huge comeback and Prince Fielder accidentally crushes Bud Selig in a pile on. We can dream, can’t we?

AL ROY – Jeremy Hellickson – I almost put Micheal Pineda, but I figured it was more practical to put Hellickson then talk about how I almost put Pineda.

AL ROY – Mike Moustakas– It may be late May before he comes up but he’ll put up enough stats to both warrant the Rookie of the Year as well as be overrated in fantasy baseball (pro-rated 23 HRs with .270 AVG).

NL ROY – Freddie Freeman – It’s going to be one of those years where someone wins it then everyone forgets about him the next day. Angel Berroa sends his condolences.

NL ROY – Brandon Belt– A belt is the perfect sadomasochistic complement to the SF Gimp. If only he was a pitcher so we can talk about his WHIP.

NL Cy Young – Clayton Kershaw – His team can get him Wins, he can get Ks and his home park doesn’t hurt. Plus, he pitches against the Padres and Giants every third game. Yes, I went with him last year. Yes, I’m going with him again.

NL Cy Young – Yovani Gallardo– No one wants to vote for a Phillie pitcher. I like Kershaw but, for some reason, I think Gallardo finally puts it together. Maybe it’s just wishful thinking because we have him in NL LABR (and got out-bid for Kershaw).

AL MVP – Miguel Cabrera – From drunkard threatening death on shot girls at local bars to hero, Swiggy carries home the trophy and the championship.

AL MVP – Evan Longoria– If only because writers will be scared of angering an AK-47 owner.

NL MVP – Ryan Braun – Prince Fielder threatened to split the votes, but when it was explained a vote split is nothing like a banana split, he passed.

NL MVP – Albert Pujols– They gave it to Votto last year just because it gets monotonous to give it to Albert every year. I think this year is his last one though.

Now put your picks in the comments and we’ll look back on this in October and mock each other.

Thanks for the fun/interesting articles throughout the preseason.
Thanks, Razzball… the Goldilocks of fantasy baseball sites: not too heavy, not too light, but just right. Ha!

A razz idea for you, humbly submitted: Publish a Razz-rank of players without SB.

I have done primarily head-to-head leagues and almost always punted on SB. SB is the one nearly orthogonal category in a 5×5 league, so I punt on that and just focus on the other 9. Inevitably, I build my own list with SB stripped out.

It would be interesting (and unique?) to have a Razz list for SB punters.
Thanks, Bill

Is anyone else seeing this ad for True Religion Brand Jeans? Right there next to Grey’s comment photo. Almost like they’re the King and Queen of the universe. Yes, I need something else to think about besides Edison “Blackout”.

AL Pennant:Yankees(Not as easy a pick as usual. ARod, Jeter, Burnett bounce-back years. Teix starts hitting on opening day. They will add a SP.)
NL Pennant:Dodgers(Kemp bounces back. Helluva rotation. Broxton closes all year and Bills puts together a nice season. Donnie Baseball pops his cherry! Grey you were a year early.)
WS Champs:Yankeess
AL ROY:Walden(As we all know Rodney is dreadful. Walden takes over at closer and runs with it. ala Feliz.)
NL ROY:Espinosa(17HR, 20SB. I’m all in.)
AL CY:CC(20 wins, AL Pennant, K/9 improves)
NL CY:Kershaw(I stayed away last year because I thought it was a year too early and was waiting for this year. It’s this year!)
AL MVP:Miggy(Less IBB, more scotch. Teix is in the running but gets edged out.)
NL MVP:Bruan(Brew Crew win the division. Lose to the Dodgers after Miggy convinces Braun to celebrate their MVP’s by taking a bat-dodging drive through the desert and ends up at Circus Circus swigging single-malts with the lizard people.

Gallardo and Liriano – two of Grey’s favorites I never considered. Other than that and ranking Andrus 44 (I’d say 74) and Reynolds 47, (I’d say 97) it’s hard to disagree with anything the moustached man says!

Good luck fellow Razzball readers and of course thanks to Grey and Rudy. Should be a great season.

@Wake Up: Just wanted to add a couple of more predictions because I’m not sure that I feel I made a big enough fool of myself yet.
Kimbrel could easily win the NL ROY.
Tommy Hanson will be a big disappointment, considering where you had to draft him and the time he misses. ala Latos.

Yankee fans have to be the shittiest fans in the country. Up by 1, terrible weather and half the stadium is empty. Mariano comes in for the 9th to close it down and the stairs are flooded with people leaving. Awful fan base especially paying 200+ per ticket.

Your reply prompts a question – does a baseball make a noise as it passes through the air (after the pitcher throws it)? In cricket, if the bowler delivers the ball with sufficient spin on it, it can make a whirring sound.

@Grey: nice, went ahead and moved in on the glass chipper before i got the response, but when he’s playing he’s money, minor’s not even in the bigs, I couldn’t believe he was sitting there in my RCL! and MGD 64 still sucks…. but if it keeps the wife skinny!

A couple of roater questions to open the season Grey. Domonic Brown finally hit the DL in my dynasty league, so I have a spare roster spot for a little while. So do I go for Belt sitting on the FA or a 3B to possibly cover Ian Stewart until Youk regains 3B eligability in 5 games time?

Best 3B options are Chase Headley, Dan Johnson, Danny Valencia or Encarnacion. Not too inspiring, but its only until I can slot Youk back into 3B afterall.

Also, James Shields or Pineda as my last (8th) starter? Yeah, we have a deep bench.

Just saw a shot of Scully in the booth on ESPN. Did anyone else notice that awesome picture of The Honky Tonk Man in the background? As a man who looks at an autographed photo of King Kong Bundy every time I use the bathroom, I can appreciate that.

@Grey: noooooo! oh man. I need to trade for as many Dodgers as possible and watch every game. He doesn’t travel outside of the NL West though if I remember correctly. Very sad, but at least I have Kemp on one team. And I will have Kershaw, i will!!!

@Grey: I have Morneau on my team but with his history of getting injured for large parts of the season I would like more stability. His production is great, but you never know when he’s going down for 60 games. Interestingly enough, one of the other managers in my league has guys like A-Gon and Votto on the trading block. I’d take either in a second, but he is not responding to messages of mine trying to feel out what he would want in a trade. He has hitting and plenty of great pitching.

So, given my roster, who would you offer up first in a trade (with Morneau) to gauge his interest without getting burned by giving up too much?
Mauer
Morneau
Uggla
Beltre
Furcal
Heyward
Swisher
Huff
Andres Torres
Gardner
Freddie Freeman

@High Upside: Bouncer hit to McGehee with runners on first and second. He tried to go for the tag and throw across the diamond for two and ended up missing the runner (phillips?) with the tag (questionable) and being late on the throw (no doubt). Bases loaded and no one out. Gomes sack fly. Cargo (imposter) jumps for a fly ball clearly not leaving the park but tries to add a degree of difficulty bonus. Keeps runner on second from tagging and going to third though (which is funny because he throws like Johnny Damon). Like a true rolaids man, Axford gets the next two out before surrendering the awful walkoff on a high and outside pitch a foot off the plate (looked like a change that got left up). Blech, when will these closers learn to get beat on their best pitch??? Yes, I own Axford and Gallardo in a lot of leagues.